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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29742402">heaven in a box</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/heure_doree/pseuds/heure_doree'>heure_doree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (Manga), 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:33:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29742402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/heure_doree/pseuds/heure_doree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurosawa takes the elevator a lot. He likes it better when Adachi is in it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>CheriMaho White Day Gift Exchange 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>heaven in a box</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moiself/gifts">Moiself</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well. This didn't go according to plan - not that there was much of a plan to begin with. I hope my giftee will forgive me for taking liberties...</p>
<p>I'd like to thank the people who took the time to beta my story or to listen to me whine about it because. words. are. hard.<br/>It's my first time writing a fic that long. It's by no means perfect, but I was happy with the challenge. Even though I complained. A lot.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>The first time Kurosawa saw Adachi, he didn’t really </span><em><span>see</span></em> <em><span>him</span></em><span>.</span></p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa’s first years at the company had been hectic, to say the least. He had tried to be the best version of himself, the one he thought would please his colleagues and superiors and had eventually managed to reach the position he coveted. Even though he often appeared calm, collected, and confident, Kurosawa pressured himself into being that perfect human that everyone looked at with admiration. He felt uneasy under the not-so-subtle equivocal glances of his female co-workers, and sometimes thought the compliments he received from his superiors were undeserved. With time he became more confident in his own skills and abilities and stopped feeling like he only got the job because of his good looks.  But there would always be something or someone there to remind him that his charms were one of his biggest assets. He kept working hard to prove that he was not just a pretty face and a nice body, but a brain and a heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first time he saw Adachi, Kurosawa saw a little bit of his inner self in the slumped shoulders, in the curve of his neck, in the eyes darting everywhere but not really focusing on anything, in the way he was making himself small, so small, as if he wanted to disappear. Kurosawa almost stepped on his foot as he was pushed towards the back of the elevator. The young, very nervous, man was standing in the corner, clutching his briefcase as if it were a lifeline, and looking like he wanted nothing more than to run away. The elevator stopped on the company’s floor. Kurosawa made to go out, but the young man got the same idea and they ended up bumping into each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I- Sorry, sorry, I’m-” The young man started to bow – beyond the 90° angle that was for sure – and kept on apologising profusely without even daring to look at Kurosawa. The latter couldn’t even see the man’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, it’s fine. Nobody got hurt. However…” Kurosawa could feel the man tense upon hearing the last word. “However,” he resumed. “I think we should step out now. I’m pretty sure our colleagues are not too happy about me blocking the elevator,” he added in a conspiratorial tone, hoping to defuse the tension. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t work. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of- of course. Sorry. Sorry.” The young man proceeded to bow to all the other persons in the elevator and Kurosawa fought hard to suppress a smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cute. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. What? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He cleared his throat and gently herded the man, apparently stuck in a bowing loop, out of the elevator.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop apologising. It’s fine. It’s your first day here, right?” The man nodded firmly, head still down. “Then… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ganbatte</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Kurosawa made to leave, thinking that his new colleague – maybe? – would need a few minutes to collect himself. After a few steps, he heard a small “thank you”. It was no more than a whisper really, but for some reason Kurosawa didn’t want to dive into, it brought a smile to his face.</span>
  <b></b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa hates rush hour in the mornings. He can avoid rush hour in the metro and in the street by taking a cab, though he sometimes ends up stuck in traffic and has to walk the rest of the way to the office among throngs of people. The one thing he cannot avoid is elevator rush hour. The first few times it happened to him he waited and waited and waited until the elevator wasn’t too packed to finally step inside… only to end up trapped in the corner 3 floors later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today, he feels resigned. He is preparing himself to face the people who are waiting for the box of hell to open  its door and bracing himself for a very uncomfortable ride when his eyes fall on… </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His heart does a little somersault in his chest, but he doesn’t really pay attention to it – it has become such a normal response that he would have been more shocked if it hadn’t happened. Ever since Adachi found him on that bench a few years ago, Kurosawa had started falling a little bit more in love every day. It started small, so small he didn’t even realise it was there, like a little ball of warmth lodged in his chest that expanded and expanded the more he learnt about Adachi. The man was private, and it was difficult to know what he was thinking, but Kurosawa knew how to look, and look he did – which may sound creepy… and maybe Kurosawa was a bit of a creeper, but it was all born out of love, so it was all fine. He took note of the snacks he liked, drew a mental map of all the cute moles he could see splattered across his delicate skin – how he loved the one right by his ear in the crook of his neck -  enjoyed watching him get discreetly excited when he completed a project or turning bright red when someone complimented him. He loved seeing him get all clumsy and nervous – he seemed to have very little control over his own limbs, like a baby fawn – but also soft and so, so warm whenever he did something nice for others or when people asked for his help. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So yeah. He was pretty happy to spend this elevator ride with Adachi, even if they were probably going to be squished 10 feet away from each other. He even managed to talk to him beforehand – which is something he would definitely write in his diary. If he had one. Who has one these days? Who would hide it under their mattress as if they were a teenager? Certainly not him. Maybe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The beginning of the ride was fine. Perfectly fine. Kurosawa was keeping a perfectly respectable distance between the two of them while he daydreamed about Adachi. Who  was literally right in front of him. Oh well. More people stepped into the elevator and they were pushed to the back, Adachi now much </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> closer. On the outside, Kurosawa stilled his features to look like the cool person that he was supposed to be. On the inside, his thoughts  were honey and kittens and giggling little girls and probably about to give him diabetes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, what a cute bed head again</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He did his best to avoid stepping too far into his personal space, knowing how awkward Adachi must feel about the sudden proximity – he didn’t even dare look at him even though Kurosawa felt like they had made progress lately. Sort of.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The box of hell (heaven?) stopped. People flooded out of the elevator so suddenly that Kurosawa was pushed out of the way and nearly fell on Adachi. Thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he… well he basically kabedon-ed him. His heart seemed to go along with the whole situation quite enthusiastically and Kurosawa was partly giddy, partly mortified that they had ended up in such a situation. He managed to ask Adachi if he was okay. The younger man looked up at him with his big doe eyes for a few seconds too long before he looked away. Which was probably for the best, because if it had lasted a few seconds more, Kurosawa would have… well he doesn’t know what he would have done but probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He already felt his resolve crumble a little. He hoped Adachi could not feel his heart beat so wildly in his chest. He was also pretty glad he couldn’t hear his thoughts because there was no way he would have been able to refrain… all of that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully – or unfortunately, he didn’t even know anymore – they reached the 10</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> floor soon after. Kurosawa tried not to make it more embarrassing than it already was by stepping out as far as possible from Adachi, wishing him a nice day at work and holding up his fist awkwardly. Like when you try to say goodbye, but you don’t know whether to go for a handshake or a hug, so you end up with a weird wave. That.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was about to go home when he noticed that the light was still on in the office. He had done that, a few years ago, pulled all-nighter after all-nighter to please his superiors, but he didn’t want his juniors to make the same mistake: working yourself to death was counterproductive. He was about to scold them gently when he stopped in his tracks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa didn’t know what he had done to please the gods that much, but today really </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> was his lucky day. The morning’s episode had given him enough energy to last a whole year – or maybe less now that he had had a taste of… whatever that was - yet the gods decided to be particularly generous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What is he doing here?</span>
  </em>
  <span> A frown slowly crossed Kurosawa’s face. Of course, he was happy to see him. And  with far fewer people around. Yet, he couldn’t help but be worried. Urabe was making him work too much. It probably messed up his sleep schedule – no wonder he looked so tired in the mornings!</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He  approached Adachi with a can of his favourite drink and way too much enthusiasm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yuichi, you should probably tone it down a little bit. Could you be more obvious? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He deflected by explaining that he had bought some for his juniors and there was one can left. Adachi thanked him and that should have been his cue to leave. But no. He stood behind him, looking over his shoulder at what he was doing, before getting all up in his space and staring at his laptop screen. So much for </span>
  <em>
    <span>keeping a respectable distance</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just couldn’t leave him to fend for himself or it would take him until morning. Some data was missing, and it was definitely not a one-man mission. Kurosawa was here to help, and boy was he going to, with his mind, body and soul. Or maybe just body and soul since his mind short-circuited a bit after he caught Adachi biting his lower lip, so, so invitingly… </span>
  <em>
    <span>No. We are so not going down that road, Yuichi</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They settled down and worked in companionable silence. It could have been boring or frustrating, yet it wasn’t. He thought he would feel the need to talk or to just </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> something to make it less awkward, but the silence felt comfortable, soothing, peaceful. He hadn’t even known he had been yearning for this sort of peace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They wrapped up in a couple of hours and then took the elevator together. Kurosawa was slowly freaking out in his head because 1) this was the second time in ONE day and 2) they were completely alone. He would keep his distance this time – he was just happy to spend so much time with Adachi. He felt like he was opening up to him, slowly, while knowing the barriers were still there, and respecting it. He would have to be soft, and subtle, and gentle, and…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>… and he was screwed. So much for soft and subtle and gentle. That sleepless night he had? Possibly the best night and hardest night of his life - no pun intended. Adachi had donned the PJs he had bought for him and him only, and they fit so per-fect-ly he wanted to cry. The image was imprinted in his retina for all of eternity. Then Adachi had had breakfast with him, and it had been oh so domestic he had almost died. He had thought they were heading the right way. Adachi had been bashful, nothing new under the sun, but he had seemed to appreciate Kurosawa’s small attentions. So why did it feel like they had taken a step back? Why did it feel like Adachi was slipping through his fingers?</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa was now standing in the hallway between the office and the elevator, letting out a sigh he didn’t even know he was holding. He had left Adachi on the floor of the office and getting away from him, while necessary, had been the hardest thing he had had to do. Defending Adachi against Urabe, helping him with work just like he did the other day, seeing him smile, hearing his voice, all of that was worth it. But it was also surprisingly hard. He knew better than to expect more – how could he expect more?  But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It hurt witnessing Adachi’s existence while being aware that he could only do so from afar. Withdrawing his hand when he longed to touch. Staying away when he wanted to comfort. Saying nothing when his words threatened to overflow. Kurosawa tried to persuade himself that he was nothing more than a colleague. And that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But whenever he finally convinced him that everything was fine, a glimmer of hope would seize him, and his heart would clench in his chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>7 years</span>
  </em>
  <span>. 7 years of this push and pull, and it was getting worse despite his best attempts at reining it in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa entered the elevator with his head down and mechanically pushed the button. Tearing himself away from Adachi had taken all of his energy. The door closed slowly, too slowly, but before it could lock completely, a pair of hands pushed through, holding back the panels. And suddenly Adachi was there. Kurosawa could not wrap his head around what was happening, disbelief obvious on his face. The whole situation felt surreal. The young man was clearly out of breath, and maybe a bit surprised at himself even, given the uncertainty in his eyes. Why would he rush towards Kurosawa? Why would he even pay attention to him in the first place? What was so important that it couldn’t wait? Hope and resignation battled in his brain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Adachi?” His voice was careful, doing his best not to spook him while his heart was beating wildly in his chest. Kurosawa felt himself smile encouragingly, not totally in control of what the hell was happening – when had he ever been when it came to Adachi…</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wanna go for a meal or something?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then, for the second time in two days – those PJs really did a number on him – Kurosawa found himself paralysed. His body was frozen to the spot while his mind was going 100 miles an hour and jumping from </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?</span>
  </em>
  <span> to </span>
  <em>
    <span>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH</span>
  </em>
  <span> to </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t understand what’s going on but I think it’s a good thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> and again circling back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>AAAAAAAAAAAAAH</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He didn’t even register Adachi’s crestfallen expression until the doors started closing on him, which seemed to do the trick. Kurosawa jumped out of the elevator, wanting to check Adachi for injuries, but caught himself before he could brush his shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have something on? Well, let’s do it another day.” A small bow and he was gone… </span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Kurosawa reached out to grab his arm. No thoughts, head empty, only words flowing out of his mouth without any filter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I have nothing on,” he said, probably with a desperate look on his face but he couldn’t have cared less. If it got him a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dinner</span>
  </em>
  <span> with Adachi, looking desperate was more than okay. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>dinner</span>
  </em>
  <span>. With… wine. And maybe candles. And laughter, so much laughter. And what’s with this soap opera lighting? Kurosawa slapped himself mentally before putting on a normal, slightly less creepy, face. “It’s the first time you’ve asked me out for a meal, so I was just a little bit surprised.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or rather I was so happy I went to heaven for a moment</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why do I have to be such a sap? But look at his face. What is he so cute for? Kill me please.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Well then, where shall we go?” Good, let’s sprinkle a bit more desperation on top of the desperation. Smooth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa was so close to Adachi – how had they gotten so close? Not that he was complaining – that he could almost catch Adachi’s heavenly scent. He was definitely going to the drugstore tomorrow to find out what product he used. But for now, they were both smiling softly and a bit nervously at each other and it was awkward and perfect. Kurosawa wanted them to stay in that bubble of warmth for all eternity. He would literally kill anyone who dared to inter-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! There you are!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Adachi jumped away from him. Kurosawa’s soul wept. The angels wept too. He reluctantly turned towards the voice and was not surprised to find Rokkaku, with his big puppy eyes and floppy ears, smiling blindingly at him as if he had hung the stars in the sky. “Thank goodness you are still in the office!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the matter?” He asked in as polite a tone as he could muster – while still cataloguing all the ways in which he could kill him without getting caught. Would Adachi help him bury the body?</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just closed my first deal!” Well, maybe murder could wait. Unadulterated joy was radiating off Rokkaku and there was no way he could stay mad at his junior. He congratulated him, complimented him,  exchanged pleasantries, and Kurosawa thought he would just go on his merry way so he could have his date-but-only-from-his-point-of-view with Adachi. “So, Chief said we should all go out for drinks to celebrate!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And just like that murder was very on again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why did he have to go and ruin everything? The game had been bad enough. He had managed to do some control damage by kissing Adachi on the forehead. He remembered the look of utter fear on  the younger man’s face as he was forced to something he clearly didn’t want. And yet. After Adachi tried to reassure him, after he told him he had just been surprised and that there was nothing to be depressed about, after he confided in him that he had never been kissed… Kurosawa’s control had slipped. He had marched toward his poor unsuspecting colleague, grabbed his neck and tried to force a kiss on him. Adachi’s ringing cell phone should have brought him back to his senses. But it didn’t. Despite seeing that Adachi was paralysed with fear, despite knowing that he would steal his first kiss, he still tried to push it. He never thought he would say this, but Rokkaku’s interruption had been a blessing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa couldn’t and wouldn’t coerce Adachi into doing anything. He wanted him to fall for him, bit by bit, and that was certainly not the way to go. That night, he went home feeling like any chance he had had at winning Adachi’s heart had been blown. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next two weeks proved him right. It was painfully obvious that Adachi didn’t want to be alone with him anymore. Every morning, Kurosawa waited in front of the elevator, sometimes letting others go first, in hopes of seeing Adachi again. Every time he would catch himself hoping too much, the images would replay in his head. He couldn’t forget the look on Adachi’s face. He knew he was avoiding him. He was nowhere to be seen, not even at his desk – Kurosawa wondered how he did it. Every time he looked up, Adachi mysteriously disappeared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The days went by in a daze. One day, he even caught Adachi walking towards the elevator before yanking himself away and hiding in the corridor. Kurosawa now wanted nothing more than to go back to how things were when they weren’t even talking to each other. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But then, an unfortunate event put an end to weeks of suffering and made him realise how much he was lying to himself – as if he could ever stay away from Adachi…</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It all happened so quickly that Kurosawa wasn’t entirely sure what he had done. He was there, walking on the street, minding his own business, when he saw a couple of thugs circling both Adachi and Fujisaki. His body reacted without his mind having completely caught up on what he was witnessing. He launched himself in front of one of the assailants and in a move that he probably picked up in one of those action movies he was so fond of, he grabbed Adachi, pulled him close to his chest with his left arm while the other shot up to catch the wrist of the assailant before his fist could collide with Adachi’s beautiful face. He then proceeded to squeeze it with all the strength he had, taking a sweet sweet pleasure in watching the man wince in pain. Once the thugs had run away, once he had made sure that Adachi and Fujisaki were safe, the adrenaline started to leave his body to be replaced by pure relief. To make sure he wouldn’t fuss too much over Adachi – he longed to put his hands on him just to check that he was really okay – he opted to walk the rest of the way by Fujisaki’s side. It was the proper thing to do, as well as a way to respect Adachi’s wishes not to be in his presence, as painful as it was for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they were talking, he wondered if he had done too much, once again. Adachi had tried his best to avoid him. He had even found enough courage to defend Fujisaki, and there was Kurosawa again, saving the day. It’s not like he did it on purpose. He tended to lose his mind wherever Adachi was concerned… but maybe... </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They stepped into the elevator and his fears were confirmed. Fujisaki had stayed close to Adachi. Was she leaning on him?! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course. They are perfect for each other</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Adachi had wanted to prove his worth to Fujisaki and he had ruined everything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Get a grip, Yuichi. Adachi doesn’t think of you that way. He was bound to find a nice woman like Fujisaki</span>
  </em>
  <span>… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Keep that smile on your face, that’s it. Keep your distance. Everything is going to be alright</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>And, for once, he was right.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everything fell into place. At last. And after much dilly-dallying, and circling each other, and even heartbreak. It was all inconsequential in the face of waking up with an arm around Adachi’s waist and his adorable face right next to his. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Adachi is here. Next to me. In my bed. Our bed? Maybe one day… Our place too. And maybe… What would be our colour scheme… Okay stop</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They would finally get to </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> each other every day, and even if they had to keep a low profile regarding their relationship, Kurosawa couldn’t help but feel giddy at the thought. If he could, he would shout his love for this man to the world. Carry an LED sign or something. Maybe get one of those weird dad shirts. Send heart fingers and winks and be all sappy. Which he already was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had only been a few days since they had officially become a couple, and Kurosawa was vibrating out of his skin every time he was near Adachi. He tried not to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> enthusiastic so as not to scare Adachi, for whom all of this was still quite new. They had to be careful at work too – they couldn’t be seen arriving at the same time too often or they would raise suspicion. Kurosawa was suspicious enough without that. He hadn’t gotten the dad shirt or the neon sign, but… It wouldn’t take a shrewd sleuth to see how whipped he was for Adachi. Only Rokkaku could not see it – and they both agreed  that it was for the best – and their other coworkers were… polite. Fujisaki sent them knowing glances from time to time which made Adachi blush and Kurosawa oddly proud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only thing Kurosawa insisted on was that they take the elevator together at the end of the day. No dirty thoughts were involved in the process. Almost - the mind has a mind of its own sometimes. Kurosawa couldn’t ask Adachi to move in yet, but he was losing a piece of his soul every time they had to say goodbye to each other. The two of them in that silly metal box was his energy boost. They didn’t even need to talk, or touch each other, or do anything. He was content being in the presence of the man he loved after a day of trying (and mostly failing) to lay low. He could look to his heart’s content, which made Adachi laugh and blush at the same time – a win for Kurosawa. Now that Adachi couldn’t hear his thoughts anymore, Kurosawa made sure to let him see and feel how loved and cherished he was. Even if it meant being less than subtle. It had become a game between them – Adachi trying to guess what Kurosawa was thinking and getting it right every time because the man was that obvious. That obvious that even an inexperienced sweetheart like Adachi could see everything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stepped into the elevator still laughing. Kurosawa would never get tired of it – hearing Adachi’s laugh, seeing his eyes crinkle cutely at the corners, and just… witnessing the small changes in his personality as he got more comfortable. So sometimes, just sometimes, he would push a little bit more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What am I thinking now?” Adachi laughed, and then the laughter got caught in his throat. Kurosawa’s intense gaze was fixed on him as he gently grabbed his arm. Adachi didn’t freeze nor close his eyes forcefully, but leaned towards Kurosawa, closing the distance by himself, until their lips met in a soft kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa gathered him in his arms without breaking the kiss, one hand on his nape and the other in the small of his back, holding him loosely, feeling Adachi’s body relax in his embrace, the greatest mark of trust. They broke the kiss and Adachi burrowed his head in Kurosawa’s chest, ever the shy man he had first met all these years ago in that same elevator. It was comforting, knowing that some things hadn’t changed. And comforting, knowing that other things had.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>+1</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Two weeks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Two. weeks</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Kurosawa had naively thought that he could still talk to Adachi every day, and maybe even facetime, but no. NO. He had to make sure they would land plenty of contracts, which meant going out every single evening to charm whatever CEO or Head of Sales he had to meet that day, which meant staying up late to polish the documents, which meant waking up early in the morning to check that they had everything they needed. Every minute of his day was dedicated to the potential clients and to expanding his network by chatting with other Sales Managers. Adachi and him exchanged a few messages – Kurosawa would always send him a “good morning” and a “good night” just to show that he was thinking about him, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Two weeks without hearing his voice or seeing his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did miss him – the way his face lit up when he ate the first few bites of the bento Kurosawa had cooked for him, the way he scrunched up his nose in the morning when he felt Kurosawa stir, the way he blushed whenever Kurosawa complimented him - but he was also uncharacteristically nervous and scared. Everything was fresh and new and fragile, and he wanted to protect it as he would a baby bird. He didn’t doubt Adachi’s feelings for him nor his for Adachi, but they were both quite new to this in their own way. Adachi had never been in a relationship before and he was quite shy when it came to voicing out his feelings; Kurosawa had never felt a love so strong, with such devotion and an overwhelming need to cherish someone with all his being. He was afraid that it would be too much too fast for Adachi. Maybe these two weeks would be a good thing. Kurosawa would learn to refrain his love for the man – </span>
  <em>
    <span>as if</span>
  </em>
  <span> – and Adachi would perhaps learn to… miss him? Kurosawa’s heart lurched at the thought. At the </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibilities</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>implications</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But now was definitely not the right time to think about that, crammed as he was between two very drunk clients. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A couple of days. Just a couple of days and then…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple of days turned into four more days because a client was late and Kurosawa had to stay and at that point he was not past throwing a tantrum. He got home in the middle of the night to an empty flat. As depressing as that was, he still had tomorrow to look forward to. They had promised each other they would arrive before rush hour just to have some peace and quiet together before all their colleagues arrived. Kurosawa sent a “good night &lt;3” and got an answer a few seconds after. He went to bed smiling like an idiot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurosawa was </span>
  <em>
    <span>determined</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He had woken up way too early to prepare Adachi’s bento. He had put on his best suit. He had checked that no hair was out of place. It was not really a date, but then again in his head every meeting with Adachi, even to discuss sales numbers in a professional capacity, was actually a date. He was now waiting in front of the main entrance, bento held tightly in his hand, and fidgeting so much some of his co-workers gave him a concerned look. Maybe they thought he was crazy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Crazy in love,</span>
  </em>
  <span> his brain supplied. He had been worrying his lips for a couple of minutes when he finally spotted Adachi. Bed hair, sleepy face, slightly crooked tie, a soft smile on his lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Perfect</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kurosawa. You with us?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh?” Kurosawa shook his head and tried to rid his mind of all the </span>
  <em>
    <span>images</span>
  </em>
  <span> it had conjured up upon seeing his boyfriend. Adachi chuckled softly – honestly everything about him was soft – and waved his hand in front of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm. Maybe you should go back home. You seem unwell.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wh- NO. No no no no. No going back home. Staying here.” His gaze was fixed on Adachi, who now sported a blush high on his cheeks and… a grin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There was that playful side again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They entered the building together, making sure to keep their distance, even though Kurosawa itched to engulf him in his arms, put his nose in his hair, and pepper a billion kisses on his face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I might end up giving myself diabetes at this rate</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Kurosawa walked towards the elevator when he felt a hand squeeze his forearm – nearly died on the spot at the touch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s… Let’s take the stairs today,” Adachi whispered, bright eyes looking at him expectantly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. Boy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Kurosawa gulped audibly before nodding, not trusting himself to utter a single word. Adachi led the way, squeezing his forearm gently. Kurosawa’s legs felt like overcooked noodles, his heart was doing cartwheels, and his mind… supplied him with a series of very unnecessary fantasies. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Stairs. Adachi and him. No one to bother them. Workplace. Ok. Stop. Maybe he just wants to exercise a bit. Maybe he still feels uneasy in crowded places. Maybe he wants to talk to you about something privately… Oh no. Is he… going to break up with you?!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As panic started to rise in his chest, Adachi opened the door to the stairs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Here goes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They climbed the first couple of floors in silence, Adachi still hanging on his forearm and throwing glances at him from time to time, as if trying to summon up the courage to… </span>
  <em>
    <span>dump him?</span>
  </em>
  <span> They stopped abruptly on the third floor and Kurosawa couldn’t help but feel concerned for his boyfriend – </span>
  <em>
    <span>well for now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright, Adachi? Do you… Do you need to sit down or something?” Adachi shook his head. He then turned around and, without looking at Kurosawa, dropped a kiss on his cheek. His brain screeched to a halt. Kurosawa didn’t have time to register what had just happened before he was tugged forward to the next floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>What happened next? It was all a blur. Each floor brought something new. A kiss on the forehead. A kiss on the neck. A swift kiss on the lips, barely there, but that Kurosawa felt deep in his core. And it took Kurosawa by surprise every time. He lost track of everything really.  When his brain finally caught up, he found himself on the tenth floor  backed against the wall by his cute, shy, innocent Adachi kissing him fully on the mouth. And quite eagerly too, to say the least, with both arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Past the initial shock of having Adachi throwing himself at him this way, and the second but equally pleasant shock of very obviously not getting dumped, Kurosawa decided to finally </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> something. He put a hand on Adachi’s lower back and another one in his hair, gripping it lightly. He pulled on it gently, which seemed to trigger something in his boyfriend if the noise he made was anything to go by – file that for later –, to encourage him to slow down a bit. Kurosawa couldn’t help the smile that forced its way onto his lips upon seeing how out of it Adachi was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Missed me?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Adachi groaned before putting his forehead on Kurosawa’s shoulder. “What was that?” He teased. Adachi lifted his head and </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked</span>
  </em>
  <span> at him. Kurosawa had never felt so seen. Adachi’s eyes lingered on every angle, every feature, every patch of skin. He ran a finger on his jaw, then his cheek, then twirled a strand of hair around it, pensively. His gaze locked with Kurosawa’s.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I did. I-” He frowned as if trying to get the words right. Words that were still a bit too big for him. He stepped a bit further into his boyfriend’s space, their noses almost touching. “I missed you, Kurosawa,” he breathed against his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no way any work was getting done today. There was only Adachi, himself, and these stairs. Nothing else. Nothing to disturb the peace of the mo-</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Senpai, you’re here! I was looking for you. Do you take the stairs now? I should do the same, I need to exercise a bit more. Let’s do that together next time! Oh Adachi-san, hello. I’m so glad my two favourite senpais have gotten so close to each other. You seem to be such good friends now.” Rokkaku continued babbling away. Adachi took the opportunity to take a step back and straighten his jacket. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing he could do about those red lips though,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kurosawa thought with a smirk before directing a murderous glare towards Rokkaku. The man was becoming a liability in Kurosawa and Adachi’s relationship. Something needed to be done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Adachi-san! Your tie is all crooked, let me help you.” Rokkaku pulled Adachi towards him by the arm. He fiddled with his tie to put it back in its rightful place and patted his shoulders once it was done. “There you go.” But he didn’t put his hand away. Kurosawa, who was watching the whole thing from the sides, mouth slightly open in disbelief, finally came to his senses and dislodged Rokkaku’s hand from his boyfriend’s shoulder. Interrupting a mind-boggling, amazing kiss initiated by Adachi was one thing, but being all handsy with him was another one entirely. Rokkaku was, of course, completely oblivious. The man was just happy to be here with his two senpais.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re here!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>What now?</span>
  </em>
  <span> A few minutes ago, Adachi was all over him, telling him he missed him, making his heart go thump thump thump. No one. Ever. Took. The. Stairs. Was there an event he hadn’t been aware of? Was the universe sending him a message? “Kurosawa-san, Adachi-kun. Sorry for the interruption.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fujisaki. Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She smiled knowingly and winked at the two of them. “Do you mind if I borrow Rokkaku for a minute? We need to go over something together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine. Fine- Go… Go ahead.” “Yes! Whatever you need.” The words tumbled out of their mouths and they blushed slightly at their very obvious enthusiasm. Fujisaki beamed at them before grabbing Rokkaku’s arm and forcefully removed him from the scene. Kurosawa and Adachi waited a couple of seconds; when they were sure the coast was clear, they let out a heavy sigh and chuckled softly. Kurosawa gave Adachi a fond look and Adachi reciprocated, sending butterflies in his stomach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now,” Kurosawa said, moving smoothly towards his boyfriend, his soft look darkened  with a glint of something hungrier. “Where were we?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
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